High-Sensitivity Proximity and Ambient Light Sensor Offers Increased Detection to 1.5 Meters

MALVERN, Pa. — The Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced a new high sensitivity proximity and ambient light sensor that combines long distance proximity detection up to 1.5 m with Filtron technology in a compact 8 mm by 3 mm by 1.8 mm surface-mount package. The Vishay Semiconductors VCNL4200 three in one sensor features a high power IR emitter, photo detectors for proximity and ambient light, a signal processing IC, and a 12-bit / 16-bit ADC, while providing an interrupt function and supporting I²C bus communication interface for smart home, industrial, and office applications.

Offering a 50% increase in proximity detection over previous-generation devices, the VCNL4200 provides presence detection for display activation in printers, copiers, and home appliances; collision avoidance in toys and robots; proximity sensing and lighting control in offices, corridors, and public buildings; lavatory appliance activation; and parking space availability in lots and garages. Containing the circuitry needed for these applications in one device, the sensor eliminates the need for additional light barriers and optical alignment of the IR emitter and photo diode. The device's small outline saves space and gives design engineers greater flexibility in where and how they locate the sensor.

The ambient light and proximity sensors of the VCNL4200 operate in a parallel structure, and each offers a programmable interrupt function with high and low thresholds that allow the sensor to wake up an application from a low power mode, reducing the overall power consumption of an application. The device's Filtron technology enables ambient light spectral sensitivity close to that of the human eye while offering excellent background light cancellation capabilities.

The VCNL4200's built-in ambient light photo diode offers detection from 0.003 lx to 1.57 klx, allowing the device to operate in applications with dark or high transparency lens designs. The 16-bit sensor offers fluorescent light flicker immunity and excellent temperature compensation from -40 °C to +85 °C. The VCNL4200's 12-bit proximity sensor uses intelligent cancellation to eliminate cross-talk, while a smart persistence scheme ensures accurate sensing and faster response time. The emitter wavelength peaks at 940 nm and has no visible "red-tail."

The device offers a supply voltage range of 2.5 V to 3.6 V and I²C bus voltage range from 1.8 V to 3.6 V. Offered in a lead (Pb)-free 10-pin QFN package, the sensor is RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green.

Samples and production quantities of the new VCNL4200 are available now, with lead times of eight to 12 weeks for large orders. Pricing for U.S. delivery only starts at $1.75 per piece in 5,000-piece quantities.

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